how can i improve my roof ventilation

There are a few ways that you can improve roof ventilation in your home:

• Install attic fans, which will pull hot air out of the attic and replace it with cooler outside air.
• Make sure the ridge and gable vents on your roof are clear of debris so they can trap in cool outside air.

Full Answer

What happens if a roof is not vented properly?

Keep Your Home Healthier & More Comfortable - Improper roof ventilation can lead to mold and mildew build up, which can not only damage your roof but pose health risks to your family. Additionally, you won't have to deal with temperature changes within the home when you follow proper roof ventilation tips.

How do you tell if your attic is venting properly?

How to determine whether you need better attic ventilationLook at your eaves and roof. ... Touch your ceiling on a warm, sunny day. ... Thick ridges of ice on your eaves in winter are a sign of poor attic ventilation. ... Warm air that escapes living space also carries moisture that will condense on rafters or roof sheathing.

What happens if your attic is not properly ventilated?

A poorly or improperly ventilated attic can cause early degradation of your roof. Moisture accumulation in the attic can cause nails, flashing, and duct straps to rust, resulting in damaging leaks. Excessive moisture can also allow for the growth of mold and mildew beneath your shingles, causing them to rot.

How much does it cost to improve attic ventilation?

Installing a roof vent costs between $300 and $550 on average, including labor and materials. Exact rates depend on the type, size, and number of units you choose to install, and you can pay anywhere from $150 to $2,000.

How do you fix poor ventilation in a house?

Use fans to improve air flowPlace a fan as close as possible to an open window blowing outside. This helps get rid of virus particles in your home by blowing air outside. ... Point fans away from people. ... Use ceiling fans to help improve air flow in the home whether or not windows are open.

Can you have too much roof venting?

Dangers of Too Much Ventilation If you have too much air circulating, your roof will collect moisture causing damages that will weaken spots and then cause leaking. During the warmer months, your air conditioner is going to kick into overdrive to keep up with the warm air that comes in from the outside.

What is the best ventilation for a roof?

The 10 Best Roof Vents.Lomanco Whirlybird® Turbine B I B-14.Lomanco Whirlybird® Turbine B I B-12.Air Vent Airhawk® Wind Turbines.Air Vent Venturivent Plus.Maxx Air 1,650 Cfm Gable Mount Power Attic Ventilator.GAF Materials Cobra® Exhaust Vent for Roof Ridge.QuietCool Thermostat Controlled Gable Fan for Attic Cooling.More items...•

How do you know if your house has poor ventilation?

Signs of Poor VentilationWindows and glass that appear frosted due to condensation.The discoloration of floor, wall tiles, and grout.Early signs of rust stains on plumbing.Mold growth on structural surfaces like walls and wood.Strong odors that don't dissipate.Heat build-up that doesn't dissipate.

How can I improve the air quality in my attic?

AtticInstall CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly® insulation that resists mold and mildew growth.Store items in containers to keep dust from building up and keep out moisture that can promote mold growth.Repair any leaks as soon as possible.Clean roof gutters each season to remove debris.More items...•

What is the most effective attic ventilation?

Soffit vents are a favorite amongst home builders and roofers because they are unquestionably the most effective intake vent for the cost. If a home's style allows for it, most new construction builders include soffit vents in their home's blueprint.

Can you have too much airflow in your attic?

It's possible to have too much exhaust ventilation, but you cannot have too much intake ventilation. If there is more intake ventilation than the attic's square footage requires, it's not problematic because any excess intake converts to “exhaust” on the leeward side of the house.

Are attic fans worth installing?

An attic fan can help lower that temperature by up to 50 degrees, which translates into up to a 5 degree lower temperature inside your home. Not only will it feel cooler inside, your AC will last longer as it will not need to cycle as much. In addition, attic fans have shown to help extend the life of the roof as well.

How do you test a roof vent?

Light the Incense or Smoke Stick Hold it up close to the leaks and ventilation in your attic. Test near windows, doors, and around the cable and internet lines that run through your walls. If you puff the smoke a few feet away from the opening, you should be able to see where and how the smoke travels.

How do you know if your house has poor ventilation?

Signs of Poor VentilationWindows and glass that appear frosted due to condensation.The discoloration of floor, wall tiles, and grout.Early signs of rust stains on plumbing.Mold growth on structural surfaces like walls and wood.Strong odors that don't dissipate.Heat build-up that doesn't dissipate.

Should attics be air tight?

By air sealing in your attic, you can stop many major air leaks and help to maintain the desired temperature throughout your home. Combined with attic insulation, air sealing can help to alleviate the formation of dangerous ice dams in the winter.

Can you over ventilate your attic?

It's possible to have too much exhaust ventilation, but you cannot have too much intake ventilation. If there is more intake ventilation than the attic's square footage requires, it's not problematic because any excess intake converts to “exhaust” on the leeward side of the house.

How does ventilation help in the attic?

In the summer, good attic ventilation reduces heat buildup. That cuts cooling costs and prolongs shingle life. In the winter, warm, moist air seeps into the attic from the living space below. Good ventilation allows the heat and moisture to escape. That keeps your attic dry and reduces ice dams.

Why do you need vents in your attic?

Adequate roof ventilation reduces cooling bills, extends shingle life, and prevents roof rot and ice dams in winter. Both roof and soffit vents are easy to install in just a few hours. Roof and attic ventsl protect your house from expensive future repairs. This article will help you determine if your attic is properly ventilated and show you how to install more vents if you need them.

How to tell if attic is ventilated?

Here are four signs of an unventilated or under ventilated attic: Look at your eaves and roof. If you don’t see any attic vents on the roof or in the eaves, you need to add some. Your roof vents may not look anything like the ones shown in this article.

How far do you nail a roof vent?

Center nails between rafters 18 in. from the roof’s peak. Drive nails up through the sheathing and shingles to mark roof air vent locations.

How much do roof jacks cost?

Buy roof jacks ($7 each). These metal brackets support a plank that keeps you and your tools from sliding down the roof.

Can air flow through attic vents?

If your attic is well insulated, the insulation might be plugging the spaces between rafters just above exterior walls. That means air can’t flow from the soffit vents to the roof vents. The solution is to add baffles, which allow air to flow past the insulation (Photo 9). Baffles are available at home centers. Installing them can be a nasty job, done in a dark, cramped, dusty space. In an older home, you might also find wood blocking between rafters that needs to be cut, pried or drilled out in order to open an air passage.

Why is roof ventilation important?

Maintaining your home’s roofing ventilation is especially important in the Midwest because we experience both extremely cold and hot weather. Roofing ventilation options should protect your home from each of these scenarios: Hot air trapped in your home during the summer, making it difficult to keep your home cool.

What is roof ventilation?

Roof ventilation is a system of intake and exhaust vents that provide air circulation to keep the atmosphere inside a home comfortable. Without the in and out passages involved in roof ventilation, hot air will get trapped within your home, causing a variety of problems for your property.

What causes ice dams on roofs?

Ice dams are a sign of poor roof ventilation, and they cause damage to shingles and eaves. If left untreated, they can even cause roof leaks. Moisture buildup from various roof ventilation problems can lead to swelling and rot, which can result in nails not holding and reduced roof capacity.

What is a power attic vent?

Power attic ventilators are a mechanical roof ventilation option for homes that do not get a lot of natural wind exposure. This electric roof vent will run continuously to ensure the home is getting the proper roof ventilation it needs. Photo credit: airvent.com. Intake Vents Allow Cool Air to Enter The Attic.

What does it mean when your roof is hot?

Hot or Cold Areas in The Home - Have you ever felt a noticeable increase in temperature when you walk up the stairs or from room to room? This is another sign of poor roof ventilation. Extremely hot or cold areas in the home is another sign that your heating, cooling and ventilation systems are not keeping up with the demand.

Why is ventilation bad for your home?

Save Energy Costs - Poor ventilation can lead to rising temperatures in the attic, which spill over to the rest of the home. This leads to high electricity bills, inconsistent heating and cooling within the home and puts more burden on your HVAC units.

Where are ridge vents installed?

Ridge vents are installed at a roof intersection, typically at the top of the roof, under shingles. This makes the ridge roof vent installation an easy addition to the roofing process. Photo credit: bonedry.com. Wind turbines are attached on the outside of the roof.

How Ventilation Works in a House

Your Sarasota-area home has ridge vents along its top and soffit vents along its bottom (under the eaves). These two screened, open areas allow air to move into the attic and out the top. Much like a car has intake and exhaust, this air circulation is vital for a healthy roof.

How Ventilation Helps Your Roof

With proper ventilation (constant airflow into and out of your home’s attic space), your roof “breathes” normally. The sheathing can thermally expand and contract, the wood stays dry, and airflow prevents high temperatures.

Preventable Demise

The saddest part of poor attic ventilation is how easily it can be prevented. Anytime you enlist your local residential roofer — for roof repair, shingle roof replacement, upgrading to metal roofing — have your contractor check your attic space.

Why are vents placed on the roof?

The vents are typically placed along the roof’s peak because this is where air naturally rises. Science is so fun, isn’t it?

How do you know if your attic needs more ventilation?

On a summer day that is very hot, touch the ceiling of your attic to see if it is either warm or hot. If the ceiling feels warm , this is a sure-fire sign that the attic needs more ventilation than it already has – if it has any at all currently.

What is a gable vent?

Gable vents are like the quarterback of ventilation options when it comes to attics: they carry the teams. Gable vents are for those of you that need a bit more ventilation for your attic when the soffit and roof vents simply aren’t cutting it. Gable vents are installed on the gable of your roof and are able to open or close as much as needed. They are designed to pull air out of the attic and work as a team player to get air gone. However, working alone, they aren’t enough.

How to make your HVAC go from pauper to princess?

Do not put so much strain on your HVAC due to improper ventilation. Ventilate your attic by using soffit vents, roof vents, gable vents, fans, etc. , and see your HVAC transform from pauper to princess overnight. I promise it will thank you.

What does it mean when you have a heatwave in your attic?

Attics, in the summer, can be one of the worst places to be on earth. Now, if you experience this type of horror in your attic on a summer day, it means that it is in serious need of some new ventilation tactics. Even the attic should be able to stay cool-ish in the middle of July, so this heatwave that you experience is certainly not something that should be a reality. Although it may feel like a perpetual state, that heat is something that can be obliterated.

What does it mean when you see condensation in your attic?

You can also look for any condensation on the roof of your attic from within or along the walls. If you see condensation, this also means that warm air is getting trapped inside and has not found a way out. Yet another case for increasing your attic ventilation.

What does it mean when it snows on your roof?

Winter usually means snow, and if it does not mean snow, (in colder regions) it typically means freezing temperatures. If you do find yourself in the middle of a snowstorm with a few inches of accumulated snow on your roof, your first thought should be your attic. Go up there and check to see what the inside of your attic looks like. If you see ice buildup along the eaves, this means that you need to hunker down and get some proper ventilation up there.

Why is it important to ventilate the attic?

Most experts contend that a well-ventilated attic keeps the house more comfortable in summer and guards against moist, heated air building up in winter. There are also dissenting voices who say that the benefits of ventilation are overrated.

How long is a soffit vent?

Soffit vents come in several sizes and styles, including small round discs and rectangular grilles. We opted for aluminum strip vents that measure 3 in. wide x 8 ft. long. This style vent provides a quick way to ventilate every rafter bay. Strips vents come in white, brown and silver; you’ll pay less than $3 for an 8-ft. length.

How much does a baffle cost for a rafter?

The molded polystyrene baffles, available at home centers and lumberyards for about $1 each, form channels that hold insulation at bay and direct incoming air upward.

Why is there no agreement on attic ventilation?

One reason for the lack of agreement over attic ventilation is the tremendous variation in climate across North America. Rarely will you find a building practice that works everywhere.

What is the attic used for?

For most of us, the attic is a place to store clothes, luggage and old family photos, but for energy researchers it’s a hot topic of discussion. In the last several decades, building codes have called for increased attic insulation.

Can you remove insulation from a new vent?

Remove Any Insulation From the New Vent. The soffit vents are now installed, but you still need to make sure there's no insulation blocking the new vents. If the attic is insulated with fiberglass batts, just pull back any that are blocking the flow of air.

Can you ventilate the attic?

Don’t avoid ventilating your attic for fear you’re letting cold air into the house. Your actual living space is sealed and insulated at the attic floor—the attic is outside this envelope. If there are asphalt shingles on your roof, the attic must be ventilated to comply with the terms of the manufacturer’s warranty.